Questions about Maus

From reading Maus II, I found it strange how Chapter 2: Auschwitz (Time Flies) starts with Art Spiegelman wearing the mask of his alter-ego. I'm sure the reader has already made the connection that Spielgelman is telling his father's story through using mice. My question is why Spegelman decided to put those random panels on pgs. 41-47 in middle of the graphic novel when he could have put them at the end. Furthermore, was there a purpose to exposing his father's death at the beginning of chapter two? I felt it didn't make sense because the story about Auschwitz was still told from his father's point of view in subsequent chapters. This insertion did not seem to fit, was very abrupt, and did not follow the rest of Maus's comic story style. Furthermore, I have always wondered through reading Maus I & II why Artie was so mean to his father. Although the reader knows that Artie is jealous of the relationship between his parents and his nonexistent brother, he still does not have the right to think so negatively of his father. From Maus II expecially, it seems that Artie is very annoyed at his father and does not care about his health. Spielgelman seems to have the wrong impression of his father because from their dialog, his father seems like a very caring and kind person to his son. Therefore, why did Siegelman portray himself in such a negative, cold manner? All I can see that doing is ruining his own image. Let me know what you guys think.

The Arrival

I know we read The Arrival at the beginning of the year, but I recently had a conversation about it. One of my favorite English teachers from middle school found out that I was ill, and she's been visiting me once a week. I was telling her all about the Graphics Novel course that I am taking and she was extremely interested, so I let her borrow some of the course materials that I've already read including The Arrival. We started talking about it, and she made me realize how similar the story is to my experiences in 'chemo-land.' The protagonist in The Arrival embarks on a frightening journey, leaving behind his familiar and comfortable life and arrives at a foreign destination, populated by peculiar creatures. Foreign customs are confusing and he learns a new language to make sense of indecipherable signs and conversations. He is bewildered, but finds repeated comfort from strangers who become his new friends. He passes his legacy on to his daughter who then extends herself to someone who is new to the experience. When I think about my time in the hospital, it's like entering a foreign place where time stands still. The peculiar creatures are the nurses who to me, seem like elves that scurry about, tending to beeping "robots" (my IV pump). In a way, the chemo is a dark serpent. He is frightening, but powerful enough to wage battle with the cancer. While he seems to be my enemy, he is actually a friend...a complex and powerful friend who is seeing me through this ordeal. I have a blog about my cancer experience, and by creating that, I hope I am reaching out to others, some of whom will hopefully use my experiences to find strength within themselves when they are faced with seeming powerlessness, just as the protagonist's daughter passes on her knowledge.

-Gabi Heller

You've Got to Ask Yourself One Question, Do I Feel Lucky?

When I was reading through Maus I and II, I couldn't help but realize how much luck Vladek had throughout his journey. In fact, even Art admitted that "it's a miracle he survived" (pg. 90, Maus II). There were many instances where he happened to meet the right person that would help hide or protect him. This was not true for many of his friends, who were betrayed or simply killed by the Germans. Even after he was released as a war prisoner, he was lucky to have survived the encounters he had with the German patrols. On the other hand, I understand that part of his survival was also a result of his range of skills, intuition, charisma, and ability to bribe. Do you believe that luck or skill had more to do with Vladek's survival and why? What proof do you have from the book?

Looking back on Vladek's story and what you found for the previous question, how do you think Vladek's experience during the Holocaust differed from what most Jews had to go through? Are there any specific examples that illustrate this?

*Maus*

While reading Maus and Maus II, I did not come across many questions. I did wonder why the stories randomly switched from Vladek's story to present day, which sometimes caught me off guard. The transitions were fast. So, my first questions is, Why did Art change the scenes of his stories so quickly? Was it to keep the reader interested? One of the other questions I had was: Why does Maus have a colorful cover to the book, even though the entire inside is in black and white? I know why the inside is only done in those colors to keep the pages simple and color would change the mood of the story. I was just wondering about the cover.

A Comic of a Comic

Obviously this won't count as my long "thoughtful, well crafted paragraph." But I was stumbling through web comics and came across this. I found it amusing so I thought I would share with everyone. :)

Our Comics Blog

Welcome to our class blog! We'll use this forum as a place to talk comics, share news about recent graphic novels, ask questions about our readings, and bounce ideas off one another. I'll be looking for a substantive post (at least one thoughtful, well crafted paragraph that others will want to read and respond to) from each of you during the semester. I'll post regularly about our class discussions, upcoming releases, graphic novels of possible interest, and related news and events. Check in for the latest!

Fun Home-Mystery Man

As I was reflecting on the books we read this semester, I remembered an instance in Bechdel's work Fun Home. Bechdel remembers a time when her mother took her to some man's house but does not elaborate on this occurrence. What exactly happened? I thought there was something about the event that allowed the reader to infer that Helen may have had an affair or some other relationship that we are unaware of. However, it is really unclear as to what this episode implied or any underlying themes Bechdel refers to. I was wondering if anyone else had any thought pertaining to this specific visit.